Basics of Grammar Checkers

• All grammar checkers fall into one of two specific types: they either are a feature of a specific program such as a word processor or are separate programs that interface with text fields or programs. They generally have the option to be set to either scan text as it is written to alert users of potential grammar problems or to scan for grammar problems only when told to do so; some grammar checkers are only able to function in one mode or the other, however. When grammar problems are found they give suggestions on how the problem could be fixed, allowing the user to choose one of the given suggestions, make their own correction or ignore the problem. Depending on whether the grammar checker automatically checks for grammar mistakes or if it has to be run specifically, the correction options may appear in a right-click menu (meaning that the user has to right-click on the highlighted grammar problem in order to access them) or they may appear in the dialogue box from which an active search is run.
  
  

Comparing Text Against Established Rules

• Grammar checkers operate by comparing the grammar that is used in a sentence against established grammar rules that are programmed into the grammar checker itself. This works much like a spelling checker comparing words to the entries held in the checker's dictionary file, though in the case of grammar checkers, the comparison is a bit more in-depth (since it has to take items such as the tense of verbs into account as well). Because grammar checkers are unable to go beyond the rules that have been established for them, they sometimes find sentences that are grammatically correct to be in error simply because they cannot recognize the style in which the sentence is written; these erroneous reports can simply be ignored if the user wishes by using the "Ignore" function.
  
  

Creating New Rules

• Many grammar checkers offer the option to allow users to create new grammar rules, though this feature isn't found in all grammar checkers. The creation of new grammar rules can be a bit more in-depth than the process of adding new entries to a spelling checker's dictionary, which is why the feature isn't supported by all grammar checking programs. New rules can generally be added by selecting the text that is found to be in error and clicking the "Add As Rule" option (though the name of the function may be different depending on which grammar checker is being used). The rule will be stored in a basic form (such as listing the relationship of certain nouns in regards to a specific verb tense, or alternate tenses of certain words). Because of the subtleties of language and the limitations of a grammar checker's interpretation of its rules, similar grammar constructs may still be recognized as being in error even after a new rule has been created.